The goal of the Unit has been to recruit, identify, evaluate and investigate families in which a diagnosis of primary alcoholism in the identified patient has been made. During the past five months, over 60 families with multigenerational histories of alcoholism have been screened and evaluated. The population we are currently studying consists primarily of families from a middle-upper middle socioeconomic class. The identified patient is generally well educated, quite often a professional person who is functional, meeting rigid criteria for a diagnosis of primary alcoholism. These patients and their families represent a group heretofore not well studied. However, as the study progresses we expect to enlarge the sample to include other segments of the population. Although we are concentrating on data collection in this initial phase, there are currently 2 ongoing psychotherapy groups in the Outpatient Clinic. One comprises married couples with one partner diagnosed as alcoholic. We expect to report in the future observations regarding the efficacy of this modality in the treatment of both the alcoholism and marital and family conflicts associated with its presence. A second psychotherapy group consists of nondrinking female well relatives of alcoholics. The research is designed to answer the question of whether there are differences in the way alcoholic and nonalcoholic female sibling pairs perceive their family of origin to explain their abstinence or abuse of alcohol. The design of both studies should generate data which will elucidate contributing factors and adaptation to a familial background of alcoholism. In January and February 1984, earlier work on bipolar patients and families was completed with publication of articles describing early child rearing patterns and problem behaviors of young children in bipolar families; a case report of the coexistence of multiple sclerosis in two rapid cycling bipolar patients; and the delineation and treatment of patients with seasonal affective disorder.